Is resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta for computed tomography diagnosis feasible or not? A Japanese single-center, retrospective, observational study.

Background: Advances in medical equipment have resulted in changes in the management of severe trauma. The role of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) in this scenario is still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the usage of REBOA and utility of computed tomography (CT) in the setting of aortic occlusion in our current trauma management.

Methods: This Japanese single-tertiary center, retrospective, and observational study analyzed 77 patients who experienced severe trauma and persistent hypotension between October 2014 and March 2020.

Results: All patients required urgent hemostasis. Twenty patients underwent REBOA, 11 underwent open aortic cross-clamping, and 46 did not undergo aortic occlusion. Among patients who underwent aortic occlusion, 19 patients underwent prehemostasis CT, and 7 patients underwent operative exploration without prehemostasis CT for identifying active bleeding sites. The 24-hour and 28-day survival rates in patients who underwent CT were not inferior to those in patients who did not undergo CT (24-hour survival rate, 84.2% vs. 57.1%; 28-day survival rate, 47.4% vs. 28.6%). Moreover, the patients who underwent CT had less discordance between primary hemostasis site and main bleeding site compared with patients who did not undergo CT (5% vs. 71.4%, p = 0.001). In the patients who underwent prehemostasis CT, REBOA was the most common approach of aortic occlusion. Most of the bleeding control sites were located in the retroperitoneal space. There were many patients who underwent interventional radiology for hemostasis.

Conclusion: In a limited number of patients whose cardiac arrests were imminent and in whom no active bleeding sites could be clearly identified without CT findings, REBOA for CT diagnosis may be effective; however, further investigations are needed.

Level Of Evidence: Therapeutic/care management study, level V.